Ground Zero
by brightenmyworld
Summary: Beatrice Prior is the second person to ever switch from Abnegation to Dauntless. The first was Tobias Eaton, the boy who bullied her. A Divergent re-write.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own Divergent. At all. All rights go to Veronica Roth. I just put a little twist on the story._

* * *

There is only one mirror in my house. It's behind a sliding panel upstairs. My fraction, Abnegation, only allows me to stand in front of it every second day of the third month, the day my mother cuts my hair. I sit on the stool as my mother stands behind me cutting my blonde hair. Strands of my hair falls to the ground in a ring.

She pulls my hair together and puts it into a knot. I sneak a glance at my self in the mirror when she isn't looking, not for vanity but curiosity. I have done that for many years now. Ever since this boy two years older than me would consistently bully me. Yes, Abnegation is the selfless faction that helps out the faction less, but not this boy. He wasn't quiet or kept to himself like we all did, he was the exact opposite as Abnegation. At least for a while he was until his mother passed away. He acted like everyone else did. Then one year he disappeared. I was too young to understand, but now I do. He switched factions. But because of him is why I always sneak a look at myself. Tobias Eaton is the reason.

"So today is the day." my mother says as she pins the knot into place.

I nod as she asks, "Are you nervous?"

Today is the day of the aptitude test. They say it's supposed to show us which fraction we belong to- Abnegation, the selfless, Candor, the honest, Erudite, the smart, Dauntless, the brave, or Amity, the peaceful. And tomorrow I will choose to either stay with my family in Abnegation or leave them forever and join another faction.

"No, the tests don't change our choices." I say.

"Right," She smiles. "Let's go eat breakfast"

I nod, quickly thanking her for cutting my hair. She gives me a kiss on the cheek and slides the panel back over the mirror. We walk to to the kitchen together. Today is one morning where I sit at the table, trying to keep from crying. My brothers makes breakfast, my fathers skims my hair with his hand as he reads the newspaper, and my mother clears the table. It's this morning that I feel guiltiest for wanting to leave.

It's not long until we are on the bus to school. My brother, Caleb, is standing holding onto a bar above him to keep him steady as the bus moves, while I grip my seat. I've always wondered what my parents would do if both of us left Abnegation, but I know that could never happen because Caleb inherited my mothers selflessness. He is a perfect match for Abnegation. Where as I, am not. But I can pretend because I really don't see myself in any other fraction. I can lie too easily for Candor, I hate ready and school, not Erudite, I'm not a happy peppy girl, not Amity, and I don't see myself as being a brave protector of the city. I love seeing Dauntless people how they seem so free and happy all the time, but I know they also are protectors of the city, from what, I don't know. But I'm also too selfish for Abnegation. I don't fit in anywhere.

The bus comes to a stop in front of the school. I scoot past a Candor man, dressed in a black and white suit because they see the truth as black and white, and get off the bus with my hand on Caleb's arm.

"Aptitude test today." I say as we walk towards the front door of the school. It'll probably be last time we do that after the Choosing Ceremony. Our new factions will be responsible for finishing our education. I stay close to Caleb for as long as I can until we eventually have to separate. He goes to Advanced Math while I go the opposite way to History. I turn and walk toward to the Faction History classroom.

The test begins after lunch. Our classes were cut in half today because of the test. We sit at long narrow tables waiting for our names to be called in order. I sit next to Caleb, sitting nervously as they move down the line. I must have spaced out because the next thing I know is Caleb being called for his test. My chest tightens. I'm next. I take a few breaths before opening my eyes and staring ahead of me, waiting for my name to be called.

I must've looked excited or something because once they called my name, I immediately got up and walked towards the door while everyone was giving me odd looks. For most people this is the scariest moment of their life. For some, it isn't. For me, I don't know.

I walk into a room with a thin woman with short black hair. I look around at all the mirrors in the room. "What is it with you Abnegation people and mirrors?" She says.

I open my mouth to speak, but I tell myself to keep it shut. "So, you're not much of a talker? I thought Abnegation are ones who are selfless, they give fractionless people food and talk to them. Comfort them." She looks up at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. But I don't.

"Okay then." She smiles. "My name is Tori. I need you to come sit right here." She pats the seat with metal bars towards the top of the chair. I hesitantly walk over and sit down in the chair. The metal bars are right next to my ears and I can feel the cold of the medal radiating from it. She turns around from the computer and puts a few wires to my head. I notice a tattoo at the top of her neck, I want to ask her what it is, but she speaks before me.

"Drink this." She hand me a cup filled with clear liquid.

"What is it?" I swallow hard. "What's going to happen?"

"I can't tell you that. Just trust me."

I close my eyes, putting my life in her hands and gulp down the liquid.

* * *

I open my eyes again to see myself in a room full mirrors, like the room of the aptitude test, but it was bigger. I turn around to see a table in front of me with a basket of cheese and a knife laying on the table.

"Choose." A voice says behind me.

"Why?" I ask.

"Choose." She repeats.

I turn around. There is no one behind me. I look around me for the voice, only to see nothing but the table in front of me. "What will I do with them?"

"Choose!" She yells. I'm no longer in fear, but stubbornness. I fold my arms across my chest and scowl. "Your choice." The voice says and then the basket, knife and table disappear all together. There is a squeak and I turn around to see not _who _but _what _it is. A dog. I crouch down to it's level and put my hand our, only for him to growl. I snap my hand back and realize what I could've used the cheese and knife for. Too late now.

I can't run. The dog will be faster than me. I can't fight, it's me against a vicious dog. Instead I sit down and think about what I know about dogs. I think about what I can do to get the dog to trust me. I find myself flopping onto my stomach, stretching my legs out behind me and plopping up on my elbows. The dog creeps closer and closer. I close my eyes, fearing he might begin to tear me apart, only to feel a warm wet slobber against my cheek. I open my eyes to see the dog sitting and panting. I smile. I rub his head, "You're not such a vicious dog, are you?"

I slowly get up, so I don't startle the dog. I reach out to pet him again when I hear a little girls voice yell, "Puppy!". She runs toward the dog next to me, I try to warn her but the dog is already barking, getting ready to punch. He runs towards the little girl and I don't think, I jump.

My head hits the ground. The dog is gone and so is the little girl.

Now, I'm by myself. I'm not in a room full of mirrors anymore, I'm in the testing room, but I can't see my reflection. I push the door open walking into the hallway- but it isn't a hallway. It's a bus and all the seats are taken. I hold onto a pole while looking at the guy in front of me. His face is covered, but I can see his hands which are scarred.

"Do you know this guy?" He taps the photo on the newspaper he was reading.

The article is about a murderer being apprehended. I stare at the photo- its of a young bearded man. I feel like I know him, but I don't know. "Do you?" He repeats.

I shrug my shoulders.

"Well?"

I'm fearful for a second, then I remember that this isn't real. It's just a test. "No." I say. The man tears away from the newspaper and I now see his face. He is wearing sunglasses and his cheek is scarred like his hands. He snarls.

"You're lying!" He yells.

"No I am not," I shake my head.

"If you know him, you could _save _me!"

"Well, I don't."

* * *

My eyes open back in the testing room with Tori next to me. I look over at her, but she stays at her computer, doing something. I realize my hands are into fists and as I undo them, I wipe the sweat on my shirt. My heart starts to pound when Tori leaves the room. I sit up quickly- too quickly because I sit back immediately from the pain in my head. I look around the room, seeing myself in the reflection and wait for Tori to return.

What if I don't belong anywhere? What if those were my test results and she is telling people that I'm going to become faction less? I can't become faction less. I need to belong somewhere, but where? I'm not like any of the other factions. Maybe Dauntless, but I can't protect the city. I should just choose Abnegation. Home safe home, right?

Tori returns. "Sorry for leaving abruptly."

She comes to stand next me. Her face is pale and she keeps wiping her hand on her pants like she is nervous. Maybe I don't really belong anywhere.

"Beatrice, you're test results were inconclusive." She says. "Normally, each stage would eliminate what faction you don't belong in, down to one. But yours only eliminated two."

"Two?" I ask. What does this mean?

"The way you reacted to the simulation shows me which factions you can belong to and which ones you can't. None of the choices involved Candor- so that is ruled out. So is Amity. But throwing yourself onto the dog suggests Abnegation because you wanted to save the little girl. But you didn't tell the truth that could save the man, not an Abnegation response."

"Running from the dog could suggest Dauntless," She continues. "But so does picking the knife, which you didn't do. You had an intelligent response to the dog, which also suggest Erudite."

"Wait," I stop her. "What is my aptitude then?"

"They were inconclusive. You can go to either Abnegation, Dauntless or Erudite. But people with these kind of responses, with more than one aptitude, they are.." She sucks in a breath. "Divergent."

She brings a chair to sit next to me, out faces aren't far away from each other. "No matter what, Beatrice, you can't tell anyone."

"We can't tell our aptitude results to anyone, I know." I say confused.

"No, you can't share them ever. Being divergent is extremely dangerous, do you hear me? You cannot tell a soul."

I nod and sit up, ready to get out of the chair. I slowly swing my legs over the chair to stand up. I'm a little wobbly. "I have to find my brother, tell him I'm leaving."

"I'll tell him. You go and think about what you are going to do."

I walk to the door and let myself out and walk toward the back entrance. I basically have three choices- Abnegation, Dauntless or Erudite.

But I'm Divergent.

I wonder around the city for a while. I can't go home too soon because my father will suspect something. It doesn't matter how easily I can lie, he'd see right through it. I don't know what to choose. I can't be in Erudite, doesn't matter if I make smart choices, I hate school. I would only choose Abnegation for my family. I'm selfless enough to be here. I don't fit the life style, just like Tobias didn't. I didn't know until I was older that he left for another faction, but I wonder what caused him to go to Dauntless. Obviously not Amity because he wasn't peaceful. He was a bully. I kick the rock next to me, forcing my self to forget about it because it is in the past. I look at my watch- one of the only thing Abnegation will let you have because it's practical, and realize I should get home.

As I walk home, I intercept Caleb who is walking with Susan Black and her brother Robert. They are our neighbors and I can tell Caleb is crushing on Susan.

"Beatrice, are you okay?" He asks, walking up to me. Susan and Robert stay a few feet away, watching our interaction.

"Yeah, I got sick after the test. Must have been something with the liquid they gave us. I'm better now." I give my most convincing smile because Susan is giving me a strange look, but it goes away. But Caleb is still giving me a look like he doesn't believe me.

I quickly change the subject because I don't feel comfortable talking about the aptitude tests. I walk with Susan and Robert for a few more minutes before it's time for everyone to go home. But before Caleb and I walk inside, I stop him. "Please don't tell our parents about today."

"What happened, Beatrice?"

"We aren't supposed to ask or give our results." I look at him. "It's against the rules."

He scoffs. "Oh come on, Beatrice. With all the rules you break, you can't break this one?"

"Just please don't tell mom or dad." I beg of him. I can tell it's something he doesn't want to do, but he reluctantly agrees not to tell. We go inside and start preparing dinner. Possibly our last dinner as a family. It's a scary thought, knowing that you might never see your family ever again. It's one thing to imagine it, but to actually have the choice and leaning towards that choice is even scarier.

My mother comes home not to long after Caleb and I get home. We silently work together in the kitchen while our father reads the newspaper and our mother cleans. Once we cook the chicken and the frozen peas, everyone gathers around the table.

"How did the test go?" My father asks me.

"Fine."

My mother looks at me. "I heard there was some kind issue with one of the tests. The results of the test had to be given verbally and the student got sick and was sent home early. Did either of you two hear anything about it?"

I look silently at Caleb, hoping he won't say a word to our parents. "No."

That's the end of that conversation. My mother and father talk about their day at work. Especially my father because Jeanine Mathews, leader of Erudite, has spread rumors about one of our leaders, Marcus Eaton. She says that he beat his son and that is why Tobias Eaton left Abnegation.

Could that be the reason he was so cruel to me? Was his father abusing him? I shake my head as I clean off the table because dinner was over. Why should I feel bad for someone who bullied me? But I should come to terms with it. Especially if I decide to leave Abnegation, I might see him again.

He was the first to leave Abnegation for Dauntless. I might be the second.

I turn toe put the dishes in the sink when Caleb grabs my arm. "Beatrice, we should think about our families. But we should also think of ourselves."

"The test doesn't change our choice."

He smiles. "Don't they?"

With that he walks away as I finish up the dishes. Does the test change our choice? It shouldn't. This has been my internal struggle for the day. I can't choose. But I have too. Tomorrow. At the Choosing Ceremony. My life will be determined tomorrow.

* * *

Today is choosing day.

My family and I are on a bus to the Choosing Ceremony. I'm holding myself up by a bar, because I had to give my seat up for another person who wasn't Abnegation. I can feel my hand slipping on the bar because of the sweat. I'm nervous. My legs are beginning to feel wobbly. I try to take a few big breaths. The bus stops and it's time to get off. I look over at Caleb as we walk towards the building. He is so calm. I would be too if I knew what I was going to do. Will I leave my family and betray my entire faction? Or will I stick with the life I live now?

We walk towards the elevator, which is crowded. I silently curse when my father gives our spot on the elevator to someone else, causing us to walk twenty flights of stairs. We reach the top and my father holds the door for everyone that is currently sowing up the stairs. Caleb, my mother and I walk inside to see everyone sitting with their faction.

I take a deep breath and move with them towards our faction to sit down. Everyone gets settled and Marcus Eaton takes the stage to give the opening speech.

"Welcome," He says. "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tell us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world." I squeeze Caleb's fingers. "Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood and it is up to them to decide who they will be. Decades ago, our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race or nationalism that is too blame for the warring world. They divided into factions who they believed was at fault for the worlds disarray."

I look over at my mother and she smiles.

"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity."

I look over at Caleb who nods his head, telling me to do what I want.

"Those who blamed ignorance formed Erudite."

I look over at the Dauntless crowd and see them fidgeting in their seats. They want to get up and run, not sit around.

"Those who blame duplicity formed Candor."

I look at the Abnegation in front of me and watch at how calm they are.

"Those who blame selfishness formed Abnegation."

I realize I'm fidgeting. Like Dauntless.

"And those who blame cowardice formed Dauntless."

I'm not selfless.

"In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."

With that, everyone stands and applauses. I try not to fall back in my seat because of how nervous I am. Once I sit back down, Marcus begins calling out names. I struggle breathing with each name he reads because that mean he is just getting closer to me. When I still don't have a choice.

"James Tucker." He reads.

James is from Dauntless and stumbles on his way down to the bowls where he will decide his fate. Marcus hands him the knife where he will make a small cut in his hand and put a drop of blood in the faction he wants to be in. I see him looking between Dauntless and Candor. He makes his decision. Candor. He is the first out of any of the dependents to switch factions. People from Dauntless begin muttering too each other about the betrayal.

"Caleb Prior." I look up at the bowls. I'm next. I watch as Caleb makes his way down. At least Caleb will be with our parents. But he won't. He chose Erudite. He left Abnegation. I can't even look at my parents. They must be so devastated right now. How could my selfless brother choose Erudite?

"Quiet please!" Marcus shouts at the murmurs of the Abnegation and the cheers of Erudite.

He calls my name.

I slowly make my way down and take the knife that was handed to me. I make the cut, but keep my hands in between the Abnegation and Dauntless bowl. My blood drips on the floor as I struggle with my decision.

I can't turn around to look at my parents. I move my hand towards my left and hear my blood sizzle.

The Dauntless cheer while the Abnegation murmur is surprise. Their leaders children switched factions. But most importantly, I'm the second to ever go from Abnegation to Dauntless.

I'm selfish. I'm brave.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so this is kind of a boring first chapter. It follows really close to the book, but things will change by next chapter. I'm giving myself every two weeks to update because I take a while to write with school and other things going on. So hopefully I will have the next chapter up within two weeks.

I hope you all like it!


	2. author's note

Hey everyone, I know you are wondering why this is an author's note and not a chapter. Well, I want to announce that I will no longer be doing this story. I have my reasons.

It's not like I intentionally only wrote chapter, I have a few more chapters written, it's just the further I went on writing, there wasn't a change. In any part of the story. All I did was change the dynamic of Tris and Four's relationship. To write a story on this website, I feel like you have change more of it. I was still using the main points from the book and everything.

This isn't my story. It's someone else's. I didn't change the plot enough to call it my version of the story. All I did was change the relationship dynamic and to me, that's not enough. I want to interest readers with a different idea that hasn't really been done and granted Four bullying Tris hasn't been done yet (If someone did write something like that, I apologize I just haven't seen it).

I hope you understand what I am saying here. There just wasn't enough of a change. I hope you all respect my decision. I will continue writing, but I think it will be one-shots for now until I can completely devote myself to a story. The first few one-shots I have planned aren't for this fandom, but I most likely will come back and write some here.

Thank you guys for understanding.

brightenmyworld


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